LAGOS - THE coordinator of Ijaw Monitoring Group, IMG, Comrade Joseph Evah, has described the untimely death of Mr. Bamidele Aturu, a human rights activist, as an unexpected calamity in the human rights community and the legal profession.

According to him, the death of Aturu can be compared to an earthquake that devastated a region and keeps the people in perpetual pain. He said: "In fact, the death has bombed the Nigerian human rights fortress and one of our General Officers Commanding, GOC, is missing and the vacuum will be very hard to fill.

A first-class orator and defender of the masses that appeared in Nigeria at the right time but left at the wrong time. We lost the first Nigerian youth corper during service year to reject military rule by snubbing a military governor's handshake while calling for democratic rule during passing out parade."

Comrade Evah, who had featured in several television and radio programmes with Aturu on national issues, said: "This death will further reduce the strength of the human rights community to safe-guard the well-being of the masses. This great Nigerian is among the few in the class of the late Gani Fawehinmi and his death will torment us for many years."